Joe Perry Says Aerosmith Are Planning a Lengthy Farewell: Exclusive Interview
If Aerosmith are saying goodbye on their upcoming Aero-Vederci Baby tour, Joe Perry is promising a very long farewell.
"The feeling is, right now is gonna be in semi-tour mode for the next few years," Perry told Ultimate Classic Rock right before receiving the prestigious Les Paul Award at the NAMM TEC Awards in Anaheim, Calif. "We'll be taking time off here and there, but we really want to play some of the places that we've maybe played once before, maybe never before. Kind of go around and hit all the spots you can."
Aside from that, Perry admitted he shares bandmate Brad Whitford's uncertainty about how things will actually conclude.
"We're much closer to the end than the beginning," he said. "I'm not going to say this is – after the U.S. tour that we'll never play the States again. I'm not going to say that. I feel like, at this point, every show could be the last show. You just don't know. ... I always have this attitude, it's gotta be as good as it can be that day. That said, we don't have a day planned where we say 'Okay, this is the last show.' You can't picture that. On the other hand, I know there will be a last show just like there's a one last time for everything in life."
In the meantime, Perry plans to enjoy every minute of Aerosmith's time together. "Listen, at my age to have the five guys – the original guys – there are not many bands that can say that," he said. "Every time I look across at everybody, I go: 'Man, I can't believe it.' I'll milk it for everything it's worth. Who knows what tomorrow will bring?"
The question of a follow up to 2012's Music From Another Dimension! remains likewise unresolved. "I've been talking to Steven [Tyler] a little bit about going into the studio and maybe even just getting one or two new songs," Perry said. "But I also know we're going to be looking at some of the archives and pulling out some of the more outtake things and some live stuff – stuff we've never recorded. So, I don’t know. I'd like to think we'd get at least one more going into the studio."
Looking further down the road, there will be more dates with the Hollywood Vampires, the all-star group led by Alice Cooper that features Perry and Johnny Depp, among others. Perry said they've also discussed the possibility of a 2018 follow-up to their self-titled debut.
Interview conducted for Ultimate Classic Rock at the 2017 NAMM convention by Spencer Kaufman of Loudwire.
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